Bai Shengyi rarely heard Qin Si talk about his past. She had no idea he had experienced so many betrayals, and her heart ached, causing her to instinctively tighten her grip on his hand.
Her brows furrowed with anger towards Zifeng. "You still have the nerve to beg for mercy? For what you did back then, if it were me, I would have killed you every time I saw you!"
"What do you know!" Zifeng retorted loudly, as if his tail had been stepped on, his resentment overflowing. Then, his voice suddenly dropped, and he gritted his teeth, saying unwillingly, "You know nothing!"
"How could you pampered elites understand the hardships of ordinary people like us!"
"Qin Si entered the Shenqi Academy without any assessment, but I had to risk my life and struggle just to get into the outer sect!"
"Qin Si could form his Golden Core and Nascent Soul effortlessly, just by eating and drinking. As for me, I racked my brains, humbled myself, and pleased others to beg for cultivation resources!"
"I was the one who first said I wanted to become a disciple of Venerable Qingyun. I started cultivating more than ten years before him, so why? Why did Venerable Qingyun choose him? Why can he, a bastard disowned by his parents, live a better life than me!"
Zifeng's expression was frenzied. The golden Nascent Soul figure had turned black and red; he had fallen into demonic cultivation. The jealousy and resentment he had harbored towards Qin Si over the years had become an indelible shadow.
But what had Qin Si done wrong?
Was being excellent a sin?
Bai Shengyi curved her lips coldly. "Why? Because his character is firmer than yours, because he is more self-reliant and self-disciplined than you. Because you are narrow-minded and oblivious, and because you constantly complain without self-reflection!"
As soon as she finished speaking, before Qin Si could make a move, she called out, "Little Reincarnation!"
"Coming!"
The Reincarnation Brush flew over joyfully, its tip directly pointing at Zifeng's Nascent Soul. Green spiritual energy, carrying vast vitality and the power of time, caused Zifeng to turn into a wisp of smoke without even a scream.
"A'si, don't listen to his nonsensical ramblings. I've seen plenty of people like him."
Bai Shengyi was unusually gentle and careful, comforting Qin Si, fearing that such base words might affect his Dao heart.
She wasn't lying. In her previous life in the Federation, the day she was recognized as a top healer, several madmen, filled with resentment and jealousy, had asked, "Why?"
These people never thought to ask themselves "why." Why were they playing while she was tempering her mental power? Why were they dating while she was tirelessly memorizing herbal properties day and night?
When you haven't put in enough effort to strive for success, what right do you have to be jealous or resentful of others' success?
It's merely a futile cover for one's own narrow-minded ugliness.
"I'm fine." Sensing Bai Shengyi's cautiousness, Qin Si shook his head and smiled.
He said lightly, "Actually, if he hadn't come to me himself, I would have forgotten about him."
"Back then, the academy elders could directly recommend students. I didn't undergo any assessment when I enrolled. Aunt Mo brought me directly to the Qianxiao Peak to become a disciple. Zifeng was a senior brother who looked after me and was one of the few friends I had in the academy at the time."
In his youthful arrogance, upon learning that Zifeng had leaked his whereabouts, leading to pursuit by the Wushang Sect, he had beaten Zifeng half to death. Upon returning to the academy, he had arranged for Zifeng to be expelled. For him, the matter was closed.
"Actually, Zifeng got one thing wrong. My master did intend to take him as a disciple back then."
However, Venerable Qingyun had never expected Zifeng to poison Qin Si out of jealousy. It was precisely because of this that the supposed discipleship never materialized.
Just as Zifeng couldn't understand why his cultivation path seemed so smooth, Qin Si couldn't understand Zifeng's actions.
"Never mind, let's not talk about him. It's bad luck."
Bai Shengyi actually had many questions she wanted to ask, such as what Zifeng meant by "disowned by his parents."
But she knew this was not the time to discuss such things.
"I'll go to Shenqi Academy and the city center to retrieve the Black Obsidian Stone. As for the Sanghai Secret Realm, I'll send Chuiming and Huaye."
Bai Shengyi shook her head. "I'll go to the Sanghai Secret Realm. Didn't you say Venerable Qinglan is not in the academy? It would be better for Chuiming to be with you."
Qin Si pondered for a moment. "That's fine too. Regarding Qin Yue, you can have Zheng Xiaoguang look after her."
After speaking, Qin Si went and brought Zheng Xiaoguang, who was still circling in Jin City, to Bai Shengyi.
"For these few days, you will listen to her instructions."
With that, he disappeared into the air.
Zheng Xiaoguang had just found Mei Shuying with people from the Alchemist Association and was about to spring the trap when Guild Leader Feng called him away, and then the vice-dean brought him into a room. He was still dazed.
"Listen to whom? Ah? Alchemist Bai?" Zheng Xiaoguang looked at Bai Shengyi in surprise. "Alchemist Bai, why are you here?"
"Coincidence."
Bai Shengyi replied, and seeing that they were acquaintances from the Alchemist Association, she began to give orders without reservation. "Alchemist Zheng, I'm about to refine a fifth-grade Soul Returning Pill. Please help me hold down the young lady; I need a drop of her heart's blood."
"Soul Returning Pill?"
Zheng Xiaoguang stepped forward and held Qin Yue down, preventing her from struggling and affecting Bai Shengyi's movements. His mind, however, was in turmoil.
Another pill recipe he had never heard of!
"Alchemist Bai, I, can I stay and watch?" Zheng Xiaoguang knew his request was somewhat unreasonable and quickly added, "Don't worry! I will only learn purely, and I won't leak anything else!"
"You may." Bai Shengyi paused. "Soul Returning Pill is just a name I casually gave it. The pill recipe varies from person to person. Even if you leak it, it doesn't matter."
Soon, Zheng Xiaoguang understood what Bai Shengyi meant.
Both the medicinal ingredients used and the techniques were very strange. Especially after Bai Shengyi finished refining the pill, she even pricked Qin Yue with a needle.
"Alchemist Bai." Zheng Xiaoguang hesitated again and again, but he couldn't help but speak. "You're using what people in the mortal world call acupuncture, aren't you? That stuff is all a deception and has no effect at all..."
Before he could finish, Zheng Xiaoguang saw Qin Yue's eyelashes flutter slightly.
Zheng Xiaoguang:!
What just happened?
Bai Shengyi retracted the silver needle with a gentle smile, confirming that the residual poison in Qin Yue's body had also been cleared by her mental power. "It's still useful."
Not only was acupuncture useful, but her mental power was even more so.
While Zheng Xiaoguang was still in a daze, Bai Shengyi had already packed her belongings.
"The young lady is fine. I'll trouble Alchemist Zheng to look after her for these few days; I have other important matters to attend to."
Zheng Xiaoguang had felt a sense of urgency in Bai Shengyi's actions earlier, clearly indicating she was in a hurry, so he didn't refuse.
"Alright, I will take good care of her. You and Vice President Qin can... can rest assured."
Zheng Xiaoguang was stunned. It was over; he seemed to have discovered something astonishing.
Alchemist Bai, she's together with Vice President Qin, right??
Zheng Xiaoguang became even more dazed.
Bai Shengyi, unaware of any awkwardness, directly summoned the Reincarnation Brush. "Little Reincarnation, you said earlier that you could take me back to the Sanghai Secret Realm. What do I need to do?"
The Reincarnation Brush replied cheerfully, "Shengyi, you just need to hold the tip of the brush, but the brush wants to say beforehand that you might encounter the Heavenly Yin Flag again."
As the Reincarnation Brush finished speaking, a crystal-clear and captivating brush flew out with a "whoosh" and stopped steadily in front of Bai Shengyi.